Clive_Barker_(soccer)
Clive Barker (soccer)
South African football coach (1944–2023)
Clive William Barker (23 June 1944 – 10 June 2023) was a South African football coach. He guided the South Africa national team to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996. He was uncle of Steve Barker.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clive William Barker | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1944-06-19)19 June 1944 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Durban, Natal, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 June 2023(2023-06-10) (aged 78) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1962 | Durban City | ||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1969 | Durban United | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Fynnlands | ||||||||||||||||
| 1974–76 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Pinetown Celtic | ||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1981 | Juventus Durban | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1983 | Durban City | ||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Durban Bush Bucks | ||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Yellowwood Park | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1997 | South Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Santos Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Manning Rangers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Maritzburg United | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Zulu Royals | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Manning Rangers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Santos Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Bush Bucks | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | AmaZulu | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Bidvest Wits | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Mpumalanga Black Aces | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Maritzburg United | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Barker was born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He became a professional footballer in the 1960s, playing for Durban City and Durban United having made his debut at the age of 17. He had a trial with Leicester City, but a serious knee injury quickly ended his career.[1]
"The Dog", as he is nicknamed, became a manager in the 1970s, coaching numerous clubs in South Africa, including Durban City, Manning Rangers, AmaZulu (Zulu Royals) and Santos Cape Town.[2]
During his club career he won two league championships and two league cups. He was one of the first white managers of a black team in the South African league.[1]
Barker took over as manager of the South Africa national team in 1994 after the team was reinstated after a ban due to apartheid.[3] He took the South Africa national team to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996, with a 2–0 victory in the final against Tunisia. Under his guidance South Africa qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, their first World Cup.[3] He quit in December 1997, before the team could compete in the World Cup finals, after a poor showing at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.[4]
Barker was a local television commentator during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[5]
Barker was appointed manager of Bidvest Wits in January 2013.[6]
Barker's son, John Barker, is a South African filmmaker.[7] Barker's nephew Steve Barker followed in Clive's footsteps as a soccer manager.[8]
Barker was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2023.[7] He died in Durban on 10 June 2023, at the age of 78.[9][10][11]
- Kickoff Magazine February 2013, p. 41
- Duke, Lynne (18 August 1997). "Cup berth a big kick for South Africa". The Age.
- Cohen, Tom (6 June 1998). "South Africa comes in from exile". The Gazette. p. X11.
- "Big Phil on TV". Northwest Herald. 20 May 2010.
- "Barker replaces Habas as coach". Bidvest Wits Football Club. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- Pedro, Michael. "Family of former SA coach Clive Barker open up about his deteriorating health". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- "Stellies boss holds back emotions after uncle Clive Barker hospitalised again". News24. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- "Soccer-Former South Africa coach Clive Barker dies | Sports-Games". Devdiscourse. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- Mostert, Herman. "Legendary former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker dies". News24 Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- Mphahlele, Mahlatse. "'You brought happiness to our land': Safa, PSL lead tributes after death of former Bafana coach Clive Barker". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 10 June 2023.